Ethnographic Arms & Armour - View Single Post

TimW · 13th February 2013, 08:27 AM

The good thing about wootz is its combination of a softer matrix (that can be hardened into martensite after quench) and the carbide strands. Even unhardened these strands will cut like hell...

Doing a rockwell C measurement on the blade is feasable (i have a rockwel C tester in the workshop, but am not too eager to start pitting this knife), but hardness will greatly vary between the 2 structures of the steel. I've worked with recent wootz blades that have been / have not been hardened - both do the job.

As for the polish: the finish as seen is just a quick plunge in ferrochloride just after I received the piece. I'll give it more attention / decent polish in the near future. I was allready very surprised seeing the actual patterns, even with this no nonsense etch.

As for the grind: I have the feeling that someone gave it a well executed regrind. The grind itself is well executed; if this knife deserves / needs this grind is another question. Based on the chipping of the edge I would think that someone asked for a regrind of the blade (to make it a better cutting tool), that this regrind has been done 'professionally', but that this regrind was too thin for the actual steel (thus the chipping of the blade). The grind is doen before the chipping. the kard with its original 'fatter' grind would (imho) not have had the chipping problem.

Tim

13th February 2013, 08:27 AM	#14
TimW Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Posts: 54	The good thing about wootz is its combination of a softer matrix (that can be hardened into martensite after quench) and the carbide strands. Even unhardened these strands will cut like hell... Doing a rockwell C measurement on the blade is feasable (i have a rockwel C tester in the workshop, but am not too eager to start pitting this knife), but hardness will greatly vary between the 2 structures of the steel. I've worked with recent wootz blades that have been / have not been hardened - both do the job. As for the polish: the finish as seen is just a quick plunge in ferrochloride just after I received the piece. I'll give it more attention / decent polish in the near future. I was allready very surprised seeing the actual patterns, even with this no nonsense etch. As for the grind: I have the feeling that someone gave it a well executed regrind. The grind itself is well executed; if this knife deserves / needs this grind is another question. Based on the chipping of the edge I would think that someone asked for a regrind of the blade (to make it a better cutting tool), that this regrind has been done 'professionally', but that this regrind was too thin for the actual steel (thus the chipping of the blade). The grind is doen before the chipping. the kard with its original 'fatter' grind would (imho) not have had the chipping problem. Tim Last edited by TimW; 13th February 2013 at 08:37 AM.